Q&A with Dhawal Nayak, CFE
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Dhawal Nayak of India recently became a CFE after preparing with the CFE Exam Prep Course. When Nayak is not working, he enjoys traveling and capturing pictures of his city. To accomplish his goal, Nayak put aside some time to focus on accomplishing his goal of obtaining the CFE credential. He is the first individual at his firm to receive the CFE credential, and he is proud of this accomplishment. He feels that being a CFE will open new opportunities and increase the scope of his work, which will benefit his learnings in the field of forensics and fraud.
Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential?
Nayak: I received my CFE credential on the 12th of October.
Coach: Please describe your experience using the Prep Course.
Nayak: I decided to be a member of the community and, after becoming a member, I purchased the Fraud Examiners Manual. Initially, I thought that I would go through it and clear the examination. I even started with one module, but it was a bit too difficult to go through all the pages. I was in a dilemma whether to purchase the Prep Course or not, but on one fine day I decided to purchase it.
As we all know, the Prep Course is divided into three parts:
Pre-Assessment Examination
This is just an overall evaluation of your general knowledge, and it tests your basic understanding regarding the subjects covered in the Prep Course with one hundred questions. The best part is it shows in which subject(s) you are strong and in which subject(s) you require more work.Review Sessions
The ACFE recommends that the subject in which your Pre-Assessment score is highest should be completed first, and I totally agree with their study strategy. During the Review Sessions, I prepared handwritten notes. In my notes, I wrote down the questions that I found difficult and questions in which conceptual clarity was required. Along with that, the handwritten notes also included some important or difficult words that were hard for me to understand. I used my notes for reference every once in a while, whenever I got some time and didn’t want to turn my computer on and study the Prep Course. I also went through my notes before the CFE Exam. I would recommend that people who are undergoing the CFE Exam Review Course prepare some notes while studying the Review Sessions. Now, coming back to the preparation of the handwritten notes, I think I made a mistake by doing this. The easy solution would have been making a document file of the same as it would save a lot of time; plus, you could store it in your mobile and refer to it while traveling or even while having a coffee.Practice Exams
Practice Exams are the best part of the entire Prep Course. You can take the Practice Exams once all the questions in the Review Sessions are answered correctly. It really tests your knowledge; moreover, it boosts your confidence. Over and above that, if you score more than 85% on all the Practice Exams.
Coach: What did you like most about the Prep Course?..
Nayak: The entire course is designed practically, so it makes preparing for the CFE Exam simple. The best thing for me was the Practice Exams. They helped me boost my confidence regarding the preparation. Initially, I scored around 75% on the Practice Exams, but then I analyzed where I went wrong and rectified it, and at the end I scored above 90%. If there wasn’t the section of Practice Exams, it would have been a bit tough for me.
Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession?
Nayak: I work in a firm that does forensic investigation. As of today in my organization, I am the only one who holds the CFE, and I feel proud for the same. The CFE credential will open new opportunities for me, and of course, increase the scope of my work, which will benefit my learnings in the field of forensics and fraud.
Coach: Would you recommend the Prep Course to your colleagues?
Nayak: I would definitely recommend it to my colleagues, and some of my friends and colleagues are also planning to pursue the CFE credential soon.
Coach: How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?
Nayak: My main reason to be in forensics is to do something different from what others are doing. After working in forensics for a few months, I realized how people are manipulating their books and making frauds and ultimately not able to repay loans to banks. I want to stop this practice and help banks recover their money.
Coach: Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?
Nayak: For fun, I usually like to travel and capture pictures. You can definitely visit my Instagram account: @dhawalnayak. I do not have that much time that I can travel frequently, but I do get some time for myself every once in a while, and I go to some places in my city and capture pictures. The best thing I find about clicking pictures is that it makes me feel good about how amazing nature is around us.
Coach: Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?
Nayak: For tips, I would recommend to study sincerely for two to three hours per day and practice. Practice as much as you can. Go through some important terminologies every once in a while and be conceptually clear.
